Project description

Reason for planning

To meet the growing need for living space, the City of Frankfurt seeks to make sufficient land available for new housing to be built. In the south of the Fechenheim district, legal zoning plan B 698 “North of Dieburger Strasse” will play a role in this regard, as it provides for land for residential use. The surrounding local recreation facilities and green belt lay ideal foundations for the development of an attractive residential area.

The legal zoning plan “North of Dieburger Strasse” provides the legal basis for the construction of approx. 200 residential units. Of these, 30 percent will be subsidized housing, which will also help meet the current need for this type of accommodation.

Development area

The development area is in the south of the district of Fechenheim and embracers a total surface area of approx. 9 hectares. In the south it is bordered by Dieburger Strasse and the adjacent buildings along the road. In the northwest the commercial zone will adjoin Ferdinand Porsche Strasse. In the northeast the development area is bordered by the “Mainperle” allotment gardens. With the exception of the buildings along the road (used primarily for residential purposes) and some commercial building to the rear. The area in question will primarily be defined by gardens and green zones.

Planning objectives

The aim of legal zoning plan B 698 – North of Dieburger Strasse is to provide the legal basis for the orderly development of a residential area, taking the existing commercial outlets into consideration. The structure of the urban fabric and envisaged usages is based on the existing buildings in the development area and the vicinity in order to guarantee compatibility between housing and commercial uses. The main idea behind the development of the area is to create living space and increase the use of property for residential purposes as a whole. To this end there are plans for a nursery in the northwest of the area. With a view to there being a smooth transition to the adjoining Ferdinand Porsche Strasse commercial zone, a mixed usage area will be located in the west. The plan will also create a sound legal basis, in the north of the development area, for the Fechenheim green corridor, which provides a link between the bend in the River Main in the south and the “Seckbacker Ried” marshland in the north. The enhancement envisaged will establish a local recreation area for future residents and indeed the entire population of Fechenheim. Furthermore, the legal zoning plan will ensure that the “Mainperle” allotment gardens are legally safeguarded against incursion.

Project progress

In 2013, prior to planning measures, the architectural practice BS+ prepared an urban development draft for the development area, on the basis of which the general public participated at an early stage (in spring 2013 at the meeting of Local Consultative Council 11), as did the local authorities and public agencies. On June 26, 2014 the City Council subsequently adopted a resolution to draw up legal zoning plan B 698. On the basis of the draft urban development proposal and the results of several expert opinions, and taking into account the remarks and suggestions tabled by citizens and the public agencies on the back of their early participation in the process, the draft of the legal zoning plan was already drawn up by 2017 and its public display prepared. On account of the current structure of the parcels of land in the development area, it is necessary to re-parcel land in accordance with sections 45ff of the German Building Code (BauGB) in order to create meaningfully configured plots of land that can be used for construction purposes. Furthermore, in this context the City Department of Surveying is conducting discussions with relevant owners of the plots of land to obtain information about their willingness to go along with the realization of the subsidized housing. In order to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the legal zoning plan, among other things with regard to the construction of subsidized housing, public display of the legal zoning plan will be put back until such time as the discussions with the owners of the land have been wrapped up. The resolution to re-parcel the land was adopted in fall 2018. As yet, neither the discussions nor the readjustment of the land have been concluded. Furthermore, the construction of subsidized housing on the private plots of land will possibly be ultimately guaranteed by the conclusion of urban development contracts with the owners in accordance with section 11 BauGB.